American plants sent to the Royal Botanic Garden in Madrid about the midle of XVIIl century. Sinoptics squares

Abstract

The Royal Botanic Garden in Madrid was designed in 1755 by Fernando VI in the Soto de A/Iigas Calientes and was moved to its present place in 1781. It was the working center where everything about the exploratory process to America was coordinated. Casimiro Gómez Ortega was one of the main person in charge. Therefore, the Botanic Garden was one of the place, together with Aranjuez Garden's, where the majority of the american plants were destined to their study. This article shows the important role that the Botanic Garden achieved when Gómez Ortega was the first professor. A lot of correspondents were sent to America to study the american flora and also there were some particular people who maintained correspondence with Gómez Ortega, and everybody collaborated in sending useful plants for their posible comercialitation and their spreading into Spain.